# Weekly Comic Book Discussion 3/2/2006 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 2, 2006, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weekly-comic-book-discussion-3-2-2006/346710 "2006-03-02T01:40:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2006, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weekly-comic-book-discussion-3-2-2006/346710/41 "2006-03-06T01:53:35Z")
> [@Little Nemo](#): > > And has there been an explanation of why the zombie virus seems to only effect super powered beings? As to this part - it most definitely does not only infect superpowered beings - we’ve seen Iron Man, Hawkeye, Kingpin, Doc Ock and a bunch of other characters who have no powers, or gain powers only from gagetry. The key is they’re all Heroes and Villains. They’re the strongest. Which leads to 2 possibilities: 1. They’re the strongest, so they survived the zombie attacks to become infected, rather than lunch. This is simple, but, I prefer option 2. 2. The virus has a magical, or quasi-magical nature, and partially sentient, to the extent of being able to invoke shifting priorities. Specifically, start by infecting the strongest - the Heroes and the Villains - then consume everyone else. As the virus infected several characters who shouldn’t be infectable by a natural disease - Ghost Rider, Wonder Man, Vision - and the behaviour of the zombies seems to follow this pattern, I think this is the stronger of the two theories. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2006, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weekly-comic-book-discussion-3-2-2006/346710/42 "2006-03-06T05:36:56Z")
> [@](#): > > Although Kirby fully intended Ben Grimm to be a Jew, and did several dawings showing the Thing wearing a yarmulke, and tallis and holding the Torah, Ben Grimm is a Catholic. There are canon instances of his going to confesion, and to Catholic services. Various What Ifs that have him marry, show a Christian ceremony. Nuh-uh [cite](http://www.adherents.com/lit/comics/Thing.html) [cite](http://www.beliefnet.com/story/113/story_11303_1.html) [cite](http://www.forward.com/issues/2002/02.07.26/fast1.html) [cite](http://www.onthemedia.org/transcripts/transcripts_080202_thing.html) ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2006, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weekly-comic-book-discussion-3-2-2006/346710/43 "2006-03-06T16:22:25Z")
**Little Nemo** I was very excited when I first read an article saying that Ben Grimm was Jewish. As a kid, I had searched for Jewish superheroes. Outside of characters-from-all-nations groups like The Global Guardians, and Sabra, I only found one. When the X Men fight Dracula, Kitty Pride tries to ward him off with a cross and fails, because she does not believe. Then, Dracula burns himself when he accidentally grabs Kitty’s star of David. The Thing was being a Jew was a huge deal for me. Then, **Fenris** corrected me. Kirby may have meant for the Thing to be a Jew. There are some recent comics which adress Ben’s Judaism. BUT, there are plenty of issues over the years that show a Catholic thing, and What Ifs that show Ben as the groom at Christian weddings. Ben was created as a Jewish character. Then, he spent decades as a Catholic. Then, a few issues pretended that he was always Jewish. At best, we have a retcon saying ‘He was always Jewish’. At worst, we have a lie that ‘He was always Jewish and it just never came up before’ which ignores all those times in church. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weekly-comic-book-discussion-3-2-2006/346710.md?page=2)